Remembering those infectious crowd sing-alongs and radiating piano riffs stemming from Beach Place circa the mid-2000s? Well, the source of those seemingly endless good times on Fort Lauderdale Beach was Howl at the Moon, and by the end of October, it’s back with a new local address and vibe.
Howl at the Moon will open at 270 Southeast 6th Avenue in downtown Fort Lauderdale, a block north of the super-central Cheesecake Factory on Las Olas Boulevard. It will occupy a 5,000-square-foot, multifaceted entertainment space, able to host 250 to 300 guests at a time.
“The truth is that ever since we left Fort Lauderdale, we’ve been looking to come back,” says Jessica Tarsnane, national marketing manager for Howl at the Moon. “There wasn’t ever really a reason we wanted to leave aside from our lease not working out then. Now we’re back and we’ve really elevated the experience.”
For Howl at the Moon newbies, the first location opened in Cincinnati in 1990, with a dueling piano bar set-up, where the musicians took on-the-spot crowd requests for songs to be played. The concept grew throughout Ohio and its first out-of-state outpost opened in Orlando in 1993. Today, the brand operates 13 locations nationwide and has entertainment residencies on three cruise ship lines.
The biggest difference between yesteryear and the Howl at the Moon of today is the music set-up, Tarsnane says. “We’ve gone from two entertainers and two pianos to a full band with different instruments, performing together and rotating instruments. It really is a multifaceted and multi-talented group.”
Long-time fans don’t fret – there are still two baby grand pianos front and center on the Howl at the Moon stage, but you may hear some bass, guitar, keytar, banjo, saxophone or flute woven in on a given night. The Fort Lauderdale location will feature a rotation of eight to 10 musicians, the bulk of which were recently flown up to Chicago to audition for a coveted spot.
Beyond a central stage for the performers, the Fort Lauderdale venue will feature high-top tables for prime viewing and seating for four. There will be two bars — the larger of the bars will have roll-up, garage-like doors that segue to a sweeping patio making for quite the indoor-outdoor ambiance.
As for what to enjoy at those bars, Tarsnane says that Howl at the Moon’s novelty bucket drinks – coming in 86-ounce and 32-ounce sizes – are a national favorite. Concoctions span the traditional (e.g. a rum-loaded hurricane) to the “Hot Girl Summer,” which is a mixture of Three Olives citrus vodka, Malibu rum, lime juice, simple syrup and two types of Red Bull.
Unique to the Fort Lauderdale location will be décor touches paying homage to “the Venice of America” as well as its hours. Whereas most Howl at the Moon locations are open solely Thursday through Saturday, this one will be open seven days a week. Count on a cover fee in the $5 to $10 range, but there will be ways to get free admission, Tarsnane says, by either making a table reservation or booking a happy hour party.
Beyond its opening phase, Howl at the Moon hopes to be a haven for special occasions aplenty, spanning bachelor and bachelorette parties, birthday events and corporate functions. The brand is working on implementing some of its most popular music-themed nights twice a month, including the likes of ’90s night, country night and emo night.
“The way we’ve stayed top-of-mind through the years has been by bringing a truly unique show to our customers,” says Tarsnane. “You could go to any other live performance out there and see the same singer sticking to the same instrument and songs night after night. The versatility of our entertainers and how they interact with an audience is like no other. With our shows and the songs our audiences request, you will never experience the same night twice.”
